Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert are grateful for life after getting into a frightening car accident ahead of the holidays.
The couple shared a video documenting the aftermath of the incident earlier in the month that led to paramedics being called and Erbert getting stitches in her face.
“On December 12, Derek and I got into a pretty scary car accident in the mountains,” they wrote in a joint statement on Instagram on Friday. “Our accident involved a steep hill, icy roads, a tree, and worst of all, the fear that we would slide off the mountain.”
In the video, Erbert is seen looking bloodied and bruised as she gets stitched up by a doctor at the hospital. They also filmed the scene of the car accident where paramedics and firefighters helped with their rescue.
Erbert, 28, looked terrified as she sat in an ambulance but Hough, 37, cheered her up later by buying lots of snacks from the grocery store to eat for dinner.
“What do you do after you get into a car accident? Go to the emergency room, get stitches” Hough says in the video while filming Erbrert all stitched up and in her pajamas. “We treat ourselves to snacks.”
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They noshed on pizza dipped in ranch, chips, and a variation of candy.
“What a night,” Hough said, with Erbert adding, “One of the saddest things about tonight is I can’t chew candy ’cause it hurts ’cause of this area. Bummer.”
Hough noted that one of the “scariest” parts of the accident was that Erbert doesn’t remember anything.
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“The scariest part was that Hayley doesn’t remember anything. She was dazed afterwards, being cheerful saying we should keep going to dinner as blood ran down her face. That really scared me. She came to 20 minutes later when the firemen arrived,” Hough recalled in the comments section of their post.
Despite their injuries, the pair said that they had so much to be grateful for after being rescued by first responders.
“Given the circumstances, we have so much to be grateful for. First, that there were no other people involved. Second, the quick response from paramedics,” they wrote.
They also noted that their injuries were minor, writing, “we are both okay” and Erbert “only walked away a little banged up, a swollen face, and four stitches above [her] eyebrow.”
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The “Dancing With The Stars” pros expressed how thankful they were for life and how eye-opening the near-death experience was.
“Now, more than ever, we realize how fragile life is and how important it is to love those around you,” they said. “We hope that everyone has a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season. XO.”
Friends of the dancers flooded the comments section of the post to wish them a speedy recovery.
“Omfg guys I’m so glad you both are ok!!! Thank god! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻,” Peta Murgatroyd wrote.
“Sooo glad you guys are ok! Can’t imagine how scary that was 😢,” Lindsay Arnold Cusick said.
“Omg! Thank God you’re both okay. Sending you love and a fast recovery. You’ll be able to chew candy in no time,” Cheryl Burke added.
Hough and Erbert got engaged in June after seven years of dating.
